It is great to see the council staff's swift response once they were notified of the spill. Now the fault has been rectified the flats will again be available to earn income almost immediately. However we must wait 21 days at least before we can resume oyster sales.

The leakage of sewage effluent into the lake should also require caution for all persons using the lake.

I can only re-emphasise the need for anyone who notices seepage that can not be explained to contact council so it can be checked out and if it is a sewage leak it can be rectified before it impacts on our lake.

Are you a member of Merimbula RSL Club?

Do you want to see your club move forward and grow and prosper?

This is your chance to have your say about the future direction of your club.

Come along to the Annual General Meeting at 8pm on Wednesday, October 26 and have your say.

As we enjoy the annual migration of whales along our coast we look forward to another type of visitor, large cruise ships. 

While I welcome the growth and opportunities the cruise ships will bring I am concerned that they do not damage the assets that draw them here, our clear waters and clean environment. 

I have written to the relevant federal and state ministers to ask what protections are in place and am waiting for this information. 

My own research reveals the following:

Cruise ships are getting larger with the Meraviglia planned to launch next year hosting 5,700 passengers. Website beachpedia reveals that a 3,000 passenger cruise ship generates the following waste over a one week voyage: 1 million gallons of greywater, 210,000 gallons of sewage, 25,000 gallons of oily bilge water, 100 gallons of hazardous and toxic waste, 50 tons of garbage plus diesel exhaust emissions. 

It is estimated that  cruise ships now discharge 1 billion gallons of sewage into the oceans each year. 

Many of these ships are akin to floating cities. Their per capita pollution is higher than their land equivalent due to weak pollution controls, lax enforcement and the difficulty of detecting illegal discharges at sea. 

Cruise vessels traverse all the oceans of the world including pristine arctic and antarctic waters.

The cruise ship industry does not have a good record of compliance. 

From website Quora I learned that shipping companies claim that “most non-hazardous biodegradable waste is dumped at least 12 miles out to sea. Other waste is kept on board for off-loading and many ships are fitted with advanced water purification”. Another quote on the website stated: “Non toxic natural waste is dumped into the sea in international waters. That includes all of the food waste and poop”.

Imagine that you are a sea turtle navigating the Pacific when a large cruise ship passes over you and discharges a huge dump. Not a pleasant experience I am sure you will agree. The longer term effects are harmful to our entire ocean systems. 

What can we do?

We can be aware and take note. Every year Friends of the Earth releases a cruise ship report card that gives an A to F grade to 15 cruise lines. The cruise lines are graded on pollution reduction, water quality compliance and overall compliance. You might like to consider this before booking a cruise. 

We can pressure our governments to ensure that cruise ships coming to our coast comply with environmental marine legislation. 

The natural environment we enjoy becomes more desirable every year.  It is a natural and economic treasure that is ours to respect, enjoy and protect. 

A few weeks back both Jill and myself (Allen Collins) were extremely proud to have three generations working in the hospital, Jill and myself working our pastoral care duties, our son, Assistant t.  Professor AJ Collins doing his list in the operation room  and his daughter Manon

 Collins doing a 2 week placement as a trainee nurse  . she is studying to become a part of the ambulance system --it was indeed a great feeling since i had spent 10 years of my life on various committees,  in planing this wonderful hospital.